University ABC

At every faculty there is an academic advisory office for every field of study. You can find the contact person on the faculty website.

The → AKAFÖ offers accommodation for students in different student halls in Bochum.

• For more information visit this website of the AKAFÖ

At RUB, the Central Advisory Office (ZSB) deals with all general topics and issues regarding studies. Additionally, faculties have their own academic advisory office.

The abbreviation AKAFÖ stands for “Akademisches Förderungswerk” (Academic Support Association), which provides student services. The canteens and cafeterias, student dormitories, childcare facilities and cultural activities are all provided by the AKAFÖ. For questions regarding food, accommodation and financial support please contact the AKAFÖ.

• For more information visit the website of the AKAFÖ

The Anti-Discrimination Office at RUB is the central advice, mediation and information point for students, staff and other members of the university who experience or observe discriminatory behavior and have questions or need support with regard to this issue.

• More information here

There are a few apps that you can download to have a better experience at the university. These include the app RUB Mobile, “Study Life” by → Akafö, the Campus-App of → AStA und the app of the university library RUB Bib.

• All information about “RUB mobile”
• All information about “Study Life” by Akafö
• All information about “Campus-App” by AStA
• All information about App “RUB Bib”

The abbreviation AStA stands for “Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss” (General Student Committee). It gets elected by the student parliament (“Studierendenparlament”, StuPA) to represent all students at RUB and act for them. Additionally, the AStA gives advice in various topics and provides activities that improve the life as a student, such as the repair and bicycle workshops, the Gaming Hub, the dance circle, game and cocktail evenings, their own “Kulturcafé” and more.

• For more information visit the AStA-website

The Audimax is the biggest lecture hall at RUB. Its name stands for “Auditorium Maximum”.

BAföG is the financial support for students if their own or their parents’ financial resources are not enough to finance their studies.

It is provided by the German government. Half of it consists of a grant (which you do not have to repay) and half of an interest-free loan.

At RUB, the AKAFÖ BAföG office advises you on your individual BAföG application and on all questions regarding the loan, requirements and deadlines.

See → AKAFÖ → Finance

Block seminars don’t take place weekly like other seminars. Instead, they take place bundled on a few days or weekends, which means lots of learning material with a compact schedule.

Mainly, they can take place in the semester break or on individual weekends.

The Botanic Garden is a sight to behold and is located directly behind the campus grounds.

Whoever walks down the stairs behind the main canteen (Mensa) on the left will quickly find themselves surrounded by exotic plants – in the garden itself, in the three big greenhouses and the Chinese garden. → explore the website

Find more leisure time activities here à L for leisure time

In the AStA-Bicycle Workshop, students can repair their bicycles for free on their own with professional support and tools – ranging from minor repairs to larger projects.

On campus there are several cafeterias that are operated by the → AKAFÖ – perfect if you want a quick snack, coffee or meal between classes.

You can find the current meal plan, opening hours and locations on the official website: AKAFÖ catering

The Campus Center is located opposite the GA building and is a convenient stop for necessities. There you can find stationery, books, CDs and records. There is also a copy shop, technical services, a kiosk, and even vintage fashion.

The Campus Center’s job board is also very useful, regularly offering temporary jobs, internships, and thesis projects for students in Bochum.

More information here.

Ruhr University Bochum is located on a wide campus with many buildings, lecture halls, canteens and other facilities. In order to navigate on your first day and not get lost, the university offers a comprehensive campus and navigation plan. There you can find:

• Location of the campus and the faculties
• Transportation (e.g. subway, train and bus)
• Parking spaces
• Accessible paths and parking spaces as well as entrances for people with mobility restrictions
• You can find the plan on the official RUB website: "How to get to Campus of Ruhr University". It will help you to find your way to kick-off events, seminar rooms or the canteen.

The Central Advisory Office (“Zentrale Studienberatung”, ZSB) advises and supports people on their way to the university and accompanies students in all phases of their studies. Additionally, it offers workshops for the start of studies among other things.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (“Zentrum für Wissenschaftsdidaktik”, ZfW) promotes good teaching and learning at RUB by providing scientific and practical support as well as working together with internal and external partners.

In some subjects, there are compulsory elective modules. This means that students can choose between different modules, but are required to complete a minimum number of these modules.

In the course catalog, all lectures and courses at RUB are collectively shown. See here: General Course Catalog.

The Career Service of RUB offers support in career orientation and starting your career. You can get help in topics related to job applications, CV, interviews, practical programmes and can find workshops, coaching and career fairs. Specifically for international students the digital course programme mycareer@RUB is offered. You can find all events and offers on the official website.

Credit points (CPs or ECTS-points) show how much work load a seminar or lecture has. One CP is equal to approx. 30 hours of work, including lecture, practice sessions and examination. For a Bachelor’s degree you generally need 180 CP, for a Master’s degree 120 CP.

A certificate of enrollment is the official document that verifies your enrolment in a university and proves your status as a student. You can find it in eCampus for every enrolled semester.

“CT das Radio” is the campus radio of RUB and all other universities in Bochum. It offers a lively platform for information and entertainment directly from the campus with its broadcasts surrounding topics such as music, culture, life on campus, society and topics related to students. You can listen to podcasts or even join in with your favorite music, a contribution from your studies or creative ideas.

Listen to the livestream directly and explore what happens on and around the campus.

c.t. stands for "cum tempore", which means “with time” in Latin and refers to the academic quarter in course catalogs (see course catalog à C). This means that a lecture with “10 c.t.”, for example, will actually start at 10:15 o’clock. Caution: If the lecture is marked with a “s.t.” it stands for “sine tempore” (Latin: “without time”) (seeàS for s.t.)

The dean is the central administrative and organizational office of a faculty and is responsible for the smooth interplay of teaching, research and administration.

As an enrolled student at RUB, you automatically get the so-called “Deutschland-Semesterticket”. With this, you can use all public transportation (such as busses, trains, trams) Germany-wide, including trains of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) in regional transport.

With the RIDE Campus-App or the QR-Code in your digital wallet, you can use the ticket.

Important: To get the ticket you need to pay the “Sozialbeitrag” for every semester punctually. More information here.

If students have a disadvantage in their studies due to a chronical illness or disability, they are entitled to a compensation. This means that examinations can be adjusted in such a way so that no one has a disadvantage because of their health-related restrictions. Examples for this include more time in an exam, accessible rooms or an alternative form of examination.

The online-service eCampus is vital for the organization of your studies. Through it, all important functions regarding studies and administration are collected on one platform.

At RUB, there are many different ways to cater to your hunger. There are the main canteen, Q-West, Rote Bete, and different cafeterias.

The Examination Office organizes examinations, manages registrations and de-registrations, diplomas as well as results and is the contact point for all questions regarding examinations. You can find each examination office on the website of the respective faculty.

The examination regulations (German: “Prüfungsordnung”) are the binding regulation that documents the legal framework for examination in a study program. The individual examination regulations are listed on the website of the respective faculty.

Faculties are organizational units für research and teaching in a specific field of science. At RUB they are divided into humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, medicine and engineering.

Fellow students are students that study at the same university as you. In German, we call them “Kommiliton*innen”. The term comes from the Latin language and literally means “fellow campaigners”. In a figurative sense, it means people that study with you.

There are different ways to finance your studies. You can find advice to financing and information what possibilities there are bundled on this website.

For further possibilities, please see → J for Jobs or → S for scholarship.

The AStA Gaming Hub is a meeting point for students to play video games together, meet new people and spend leisure time between lectures – ranging from classic games to virtual reality.

The G-lawn at RUB is the lawn between the GA building and Q-West – a popular place for students and staff of RUB to relax and enjoy the summer.

• More information about the location under:

The abbreviation HZO stands for “Hörsaalzentrum Ost” and accommodates a few of the biggest lecture halls at RUB. It is located centrally on campus.

More information about the location under → O for Orientation.

RUB has a central Instagram account and an Instagram account specifically for all events that take place on campus.

• More social media accounts under → S for Social Media.

The internet network of RUB provides you with quick and safe internet access everywhere on campus. With your RUB-ID you can log into the WIFI “eduroam” easily. If you want to access the RUB online services from home, you need an additional VPN connection.

In lecture halls, seminar rooms and public places HIRN-Ports, publicly accessible network ports, are available.

You can find all information and instructions on the website of the Network Operations Centre (NOC) of RUB under → Anleitungen

The faculties offer their own introductory events for first semester students. You can find the dates here.

IT.SERVICES is the central facility for IT and communication provision at RUB. It also supplies media technology – always with a focus on data privacy and safety. In case of questions, you can always turn to the Helpdesk .

Jobs for students are compiled at the website for job offers at RUB as well as on the Platform Stellenwerk.

The KulturCafé, aka KuCaf, is a popular meeting place on campus. Here you can meet up with friends for a coffee, affordable food or in the evenings for concerts, parties and other events. The KulturCafé is not only a replacement for the canteen, but also a place for culture, exchange and student life on campus.

The University Language Centre offers a wide selection of courses for learning different foreign languages. Additionally, the International Office informs and consults about language learning.

A lecture is a course in which the lecturer teaches knowledge about a specific subject to students– often in a big group and with accompanying materials, but without an intensive discussion. The discussions take place in seminars and/or practice sessions.

Lecturers are teachers at a university. They give lectures, hold seminars as well as practice sessions and accompany you throughout your studies. They can be professors, research staff or external teachers. Lecturers impart knowledge, help with questions and evaluate your performance in courses.

See à S for Semester/Semester Break

You can find learning groups for specific topics or subjects with the learning group finder .

There are many different places to learn on campus. Absolutely quiet areas as well as beautiful spaces and dedicated rooms for group work are available. An overview of learning places is here: Lernorte auf dem Campus

The University Library (UB) is the main library at RUB. There you can find literature relevant to your studies, workspaces and support regarding research. Besides the UB, various specialist libraries exist on campus.

The RUB Bib app allows you to find all relevant data on your smartphone: borrow books, check the status of your borrowed books and have an overview of course offers by the library and book them.

RUB offers many different activities for leisure time. Some of them are listed here:

• University Sports
• Theaterflat
• Gaming Hub
• Musical Centre
• Student Circle Film
• Student Garden
• RepairCafé
• Botanic Garden

A Master’s degree is an advanced degree program that you can study after your Bachelor’s degree. It deepens or widens your knowledge and usually takes two to four semesters. At RUB, you can choose between many different Master’s degree programs depending on your interests and your Bachelor’s degree.

The canteen (Mensa) is the main place to eat on campus. Here you can choose between different meals, ranging from classical food to vegetarian and vegan offers. The prices are student-friendly, and you can pay conveniently with your RUBCard. You can see the meal plan here.

The Center for Research Methods (Methodenzentrum)supports students of all faculties with empirical research projects by providing workshops, e-learning offers and advice.

All information about software licenses for students, such as Office 365 and others, are compiled on the website of IT.SERVICES.

A module is a topic related teaching and studying unit that often consists of multiple courses (e.g. lectures, seminars, practice sessions). For every module you get a specific number of credit points (ECTS) at the end.

The module handbook is your official study plan: it describes the content, study goals, examinations and number of credit points for every module of your study program. There you can also find which courses you should take at what point in time.

Moodle is the central study platform at RUB. Here you find all materials for your courses such as scripts, presentations or literature recommendations. Many lecturers also use Moodle for announcements, term paper submission or online tests. To not miss anything, it is worth to check your Moodle courses regularly.

For a good start into your study journey, a Moodle course specifically for first semester students is provided. There you find important information for your study start, tips for orientation on campus and consulting as well as support services. Be sure to take a look. It’s worth it because a lot of information is compiled there in one place.

The Music Centrer at RUB provides you many creative opportunities next to your studies – theatre, dance, music, fine arts or photography. Here you can experiment artistically, get to know new people and put your own projects on stage or canvas. Many activity offers are open for students and free.

More leisure time offers

• University Sports
• Theaterflat
• Gaming Hub
• Musical Centre
• Student Circle Film
• Student Garden
• RepairCafé
• Botanic Garden
  

On the shutdown Opel factory premisses (“Opel-Werksgelände MARK 51°7” (O-Werk)) a modern campus with various offers arose. The Makerspace and Worldfactory Start-up Centre are related to RUB

The “Optionalbereich” provides additional and key qualifications for your career start such as foreign languages, soft skills and internships. In a 2-subject-Bachelor’s degree, 30 CPs need to be acquired in this area. In some 1-subject degree programs, there is also the specification to acquire CPs in this area.

• More information and consultation are on the website of Optionalbereich.

The RUB campus is large and can be overwhelming. But no worries, on the website for arrival at Ruhr University Bochum a current campus map is provided. Additionally, the community on campus is always very understanding and helpful, so you can always ask someone.

At RUB, there is no central orientation week. Rather the faculties and subjects organize their own introductory events for first semester students in which all important information for the start at RUB is provided.

The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the next qualification level after a Master’s degree and the basis for a scientific career. In Germany, the obtainment of a PhD is called “Promotion”. It refers to the highest academic degree, the doctoral degree, in a specific subject. Information about doctoral studies at RUB can be found here.

The Psychological Student Counseling offers free groups and coaching in the Peer Quartier where students work together to find solutions and get support in personal crises.

• For more help with problems during your studies, watch this video on the YouTube-channel of RUB.

Practice sessions are seminars which deepen the content of a lecture and can be used to clarify questions. Some practice lessons are mandatory.

To prepare well for the start of studies, many faculties offer preparatory courses or propaedeutics at the beginning of a semester for first semester students. In these courses, school knowledge is refreshed and, if necessary, deepened. Some of them are mandatory.

The Q-West is the place for burgers, pizza and pasta on campus. The current lunch specials are always on the Q-West-website.

• More culinary offers of AKAFÖ under → E for Eating at RUB.

In Querenburg, the neighborhood of RUB, you find the Uni Center and several dormitories of RUB among other things.

• You can find more information about dormitories under → A for Accommodation.

The AStA Repair Café is a self-help workshop where students can repair electronic devices together, learn about repairing and recycling as well as promote sustainability.

All regular students at RUB must transfer their social contribution before the start of a new semester. Only then the Registrar’s Office will re-register them, and they can continue their studies.

The Registrar’s Office manages the central data of all RUB students and is therefore the first point of contact for organizational questions.

See à S for Student ID Card

“s.t.” stands for “sine tempore” (Latin: “without time”), which means a course starts punctually at the given time. In contrast, many courses at the university start at "c.t.".

Sciebo ist die Campuscloud der RUB und anderer NRW-Hochschulen. Mitarbeitende und Studierende können damit Daten sicher speichern, abrufen und bearbeiten. Weitere Infos und Anleitungen gibt es auf der Webseite von IT.SERVICES.

Das Schreibzentrum unterstützt Studierende bei allen Fragen rund ums wissenschaftliche Schreiben von der kleinen Schreibaufgabe bis zur Abschlussarbeit.

Ein Seminar ist eine Lehrveranstaltung, in der Studierende aktiv mitarbeiten, diskutieren und vertiefend zu einem Thema arbeiten, meist in kleinerer Gruppe.

Das Studienjahr teilt sich in zwei Semester: Das Sommersemester und das Wintersemester. In diesen gibt es eine Vorlesungszeit, in der die Veranstaltungen stattfinden und eine vorlesungsfreie Zeit, die meist Semesterferien genannt wird. Diese Bezeichnung ist allerdings irreführend, denn in dieser Zeit werden Klausuren und Hausarbeiten geschrieben – definitiv keine klassische „Ferienzeit“...

• Alle aktuellen Semesterzeiten gibt es auf der Seite Semesterfristen.

Semesterwochenstunden (SWS) sind eine Maßeinheit für den Umfang von Lehrveranstaltungen an Hochschulen, bei der 1 SWS 45 Minuten Präsenzzeit pro Woche während eines Semesters entspricht.

Das Kürzel SWS dient zur Angabe der Dauer einer Veranstaltung und ist nicht zu verwechseln mit dem Workload, welcher den gesamten Zeitaufwand inklusive Vor- und Nachbereitung beschreibt.

Das Semesterticket der RUB ist ein Deutschlandticket.

Der Sozialbeitrag ist ein verpflichtender Semesterbeitrag, den alle eingeschriebenen Studierenden vor Beginn des Semesters zahlen müssen, um zurückgemeldet zu werden und z. B. das Deutschlandticket oder Studienbescheinigungen zu erhalten. Alles Infos zur Rückmeldung und dem Sozialbeitrag gibt es hier.

Die RUB ist auf verschiedenen Social Media Plattformen vertreten. Es gibt zentrale Kanäle bei Youtube, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, TikTok und BlueSky. Außerdem gibt es einige Fachschaften und Fakultäten, die eigene Social Media Profile haben.

Alle Infos zu Software-Lizenzen für Studierende wie Office 365 und weitere sind auf der Seite von IT.SERVICES zu finden.

Das Zentrum für Fremdsprachenausbildung bietet eine große Auswahl an Kursen für unterschiedliche Fremdsprachen. Außerdem kann man sich beim International Office zum Thema Sprachen lernen informieren und beraten lassen.

Im Studierenden Service Center (SSC) finden sich alle zentralen Service- und Beratungseinrichtungen der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) für Studierende unter einem Dach.

Das Staatsexamen an der RUB wird für die Studiengänge Medizin und Rechtswissenschaft angeboten und ist kein Bachelor- oder Masterabschluss, sondern eine eigenständige Qualifikation, die für die Ausübung bestimmter Berufe notwendig ist.

Ein Stipendium unterstützt Studierende finanziell und ideell und bietet Zugang zu Netzwerken sowie Förderangeboten.

Weitere Infos zu Studienfinanzierung unter → F wie Finanzierung

Um einen Stundenplan zu erstellen, muss man die Kurse selbst aus dem Vorlesungsverzeichnis auswählen. Wie genau der Stundenplan für die jeweiligen Fächer zusammengestellt wird, lernt man in den Einführungsveranstaltungen der jeweiligen Fakultäten.

An der RUB gibt es die zentrale Studienberatung (ZSB), die sich mit allen allgemeinen Anliegen rund ums Studium beschäftigt. Außerdem gibt es die Studienfachberatung in den jeweiligen Fakultäten.

gehe zu → I wie Immatrikulationsbescheinigung.

Alle Infos rund um den Ausweis sind auf der Webseite Ausweis für Studierende gesammelt.

Das Studierendensekretariat verwaltet die zentralen Daten aller RUB-Studierenden und ist daher erste Anlaufstelle in grundlegenden organisatorischen Fragen.

gehe zu → F wie Finanzierung.

Der Studienkreis Film (SKF) ist einer der ältesten studentischen Filmclubs Deutschlands. Studierende können hier meist einmal pro Woche für wenig Geld Filme anschauen, eigenständig kuratierte Programme erleben und sich in Diskussionen und filmkulturellen Veranstaltungen engagieren. Weitere Freizeitangebote gibt es unter → F wie Freizeit

Ein Studienverlaufsplan zeigt, welche Module und Veranstaltungen Studierende im Verlauf ihres Studiums absolvieren sollten, um die Studienziele zu erreichen.

gehe zu → A wie Akafö

Der Studigarten ist ein studentischer Garten hinter der RUB-Mensa, in dem Studierende gemeinsam gärtnern, Zeit in der Natur verbringen und draußen aktiv sein können.

• Weitere Freizeitangebote gibt es unter → F wie Freizeit

SHKs sind Studierende, die neben dem Studium an der Universität in Forschung, Lehre oder Verwaltung unterstützend tätig sind. Siehe auch unter → J wie Jobs.

In Kooperation mit dem AStA der Ruhr-Universität Bochum erhalten Studierende der RUB kostenlose Karten für die regulären Vorstellungen des Schauspielhaus Bochum. Was man dafür tun muss ist auf der Webseite vom AstA erklärt.

• Weitere Freizeitangebote gibt es unter → F wie Freizeit

Ein "Transcript of Records" (ToR) ist eine detaillierte Übersicht über alle erbrachten Studien- und Prüfungsleistungen, einschließlich belegter Kurse, absolvierter Prüfungen, Noten und erreichter ECTS-Punkte. Es wird für verschiedene Zwecke benötigt, wie Bewerbungen für Auslandsstudien, Anerkennung von Leistungen, Bewerbungen zum Masterstudium oder für das BAföG-Amt.

• Den ToR kann man über eCampus abrufen.

Ein Tutorium ist eine begleitende Lehrveranstaltung, in der Studierende unter Anleitung eines Tutors (meist auch Studierende) die Inhalte von Vorlesungen vertiefen, Aufgaben üben und Fragen klären können. Manche Fakultäten bieten auch spezielle Einführungstutorien für Erstsemester an.

Das Uni-Center in Bochum-Querenburg ist ein zentraler Treffpunkt mit Einkaufsmöglichkeiten und Gastronomie.

gehe zu → B wie Bibliothek

Übungen sind Seminare, welche die Inhalte von Vorlesungen vertiefen und zur Klärung von Fragen genutzt werden können. Einige Übungen sind verpflichtend.

Studierende können sich vom Studium beurlauben lassen, wenn bestimmte Gründe vorliegen.

• Alle Informationen dazu auf der Seite Beurlaubung

Um auch außerhalb vom Campus alle Angebote vom RUB-Netz nutzen zu können, ist es notwendig einen VPN-Tunnel einzurichten. Hier geht's zur Anleitung des Network Operations Center (NOC) der RUB.

Eine Vorlesung ist eine Lehrveranstaltung, in der Dozent*innen Studierenden fachliches Wissen präsentieren, meist in größerer Gruppe, oft mit begleitenden Materialien, aber ohne intensive Diskussion. Diese werden dann in Seminaren und/oder Übungen geführt.

gehe zu → S wie Semester/Semesterferien

Im Vorlesungsverzeichnis sind sämtliche Lehrveranstaltungen der RUB gebündelt.

Um gut auf den Studieneinstieg vorzubereiten, bieten viele Fakultäten vor jedem Semesterstart Vorkurse oder Propädeutika für die Studienanfänger an, in denen Schulwissen noch einmal wiederholt und gegebenenfalls vertieft wird. Manche dieser Angebote sind verpflichtend.

In einigen Fächern gibt es Wahlpflichtmodule. Das bedeutet, dass man die Wahl zwischen verschiedene Modulen hat, jedoch verpflichtet ist eine Mindestzahl dieser Module abzuschließen.

Das WLAN für Studierende auf dem Campus heißt Eduroam und muss einmalig eingerichtet werden.

• Hier geht es zur Anleitungsseite des Network Operations Center (NOC) der RUB

Um alle Services auch außerhalb vom Campus nutzen zu können muss zusätzlich ein VPN-Tunnel eingerichtet werden.

• Auch hier hat das NOC eine Anleitungsseite
  

Das AKAFÖ bietet für Studierende verschiedene Wohnheime in Bochum an.

• Eine Übersicht und alle Infos sind auf der Webseite des AKAFÖ zu finden.

Über die Feiertage im Winter wird die Uni für ca. zwei Wochen geschlossen. Zu dieser Zeit sind auch Bibliotheken nicht geöffnet. Die genauen Zeiten der Schließung werden jedes Jahr bekannt gegeben.

Selbstverständlich hat die RUB einen eigenen YouTube-Kanal.

Hier findet ihr auch eine Playlist speziell für Studierende im ersten Semester.

Die Zentrale Studienberatung berät und unterstützt auf dem Weg in die Hochschule und begleitet Studierende in allen Phasen ihres Studiums. Sie bietet unter anderem auch Workshops zum Start ins Studium an.

Das Zentrum für Fremdsprachenausbildung (ZfA) bietet Sprachkurse auf verschiedenen Niveaustufen an. Jeweils zum Semesteranfang gibt es eine Fremdsprachenberatung. Hier kannst Du auch Prüfungen ablegen, wenn du für deinen Studiengang einen Sprachnachweis erbringen musst. Für Studierende der RUB ist dies natürlich kostenlos.

Das Zentrum für Wissenschaftsdidaktik (ZfW) fördert gutes Lehren und Lernen an der RUB durch wissenschaftsbasierte und praxisorientierte Unterstützung sowie Zusammenarbeit mit internen und externen Partnern.